WSJ: Apple orders 10 million iPad minis

Right, where were we with the iPad mini rumours? Ah, that’s right; last week we were hearing that mass production of the 7.85in tablet was underway, ahead of a possible October launch.

Now Apple is said to have ordered a whopping 10 million iPad mini units from its Asia-based component suppliers.

We have the Wall Street Journal to thank for both stories. While we tend to listen to them more than we would, say, the Daily Sport, we’re still not entirely convinced that the iPad mini exists. Or maybe we’re simply hoping it doesn’t.

If that figure is on the money, an initial order of 10 million is pretty bloomin’ significant, roughly double the Q4 volume for the Amazon Kindle Fires.

And that’s as far as the latest iPad mini rumour goes. As for iPad mini specs, we’ve already had '7.85in display' drilled into our cerebral cortices over the past few months.

The iPad mini was originally tipped to launch alongside the iPhone 5 in September, but – needless to say – failed to materialise.

Earlier last week, the rumour mill proposed October 10 (Wednesday this week) for iPad mini invites, with the iPad mini launch taking place on October 17. Hmm, roll on Wednesday.